Making Peace
by furimonokuro
Summary: Imagine the era of peace, when all those hunted were already slayed, and Sasuke, forced to retire at an early age, was left wondering what he was going to do next. Rating: K for now. Warning: BL, in the later chapters.
1. Chapter 1

ONE

Sasuke always knew that in the very end, he would end up working together with a person he truly hated.

His blonde, blue-eyed childhood friend Naruto was a candidate right from the start, but along the way, he met an entire rank of ninjas who could easily fill in that particular position. Orochimaru, for one, but wait - he's actually gone. And it was an entire nightmare of a different calibre, that almost immortal creature. Except that his blood remained as cold as an animal's, and he never gained back the right to atone for his sins.

Sasuke and Itachi had made sure to that.

And then there was that rotten ancestor of his who hid under an orange mask and pretended to be on his side. And then that other guy who pretended to stick by him, that guy who was water and carried a sword, that guy who even risked his life for him, yes – that was one more of the long line of ninjas whom he could truly list down as those he truly hated.

Alongside them, even his old teammate was somewhat agreeable, although he would scoff at his every word and action. Even the thought of his having such a huge pointless ambition – dreams of being the Hokage, a place in the politics, a field where Sasuke knew better than to dabble in. His heart belonged to missions, and although he had turned down the offers of joining the ANBU, he remained a top-notch ninja who often went on Rank A missions alone, or oftentimes, with his own team of ninjas, 3 young genin who always reminded him of how he first started – a young ninja, promising and hopeful, led on by a powerful dream of vengeance. He had gone off the right path afterwards, but he was foolhardy, and he learned, and he did what he had to.

Then, it was all over.

His job was done.

And now, he wanted to make sure that the young ones stayed away from the path he lived. No one else had to suffer through what he experienced, especially under the tutelage of the rebel-Sannin. Not even those he truly hated.

It was a wonder, how in the end, when asked nicely, he agreed to help and landed a part-time job of training genin, especially when their real teachers were incapacitated or temporarily unable to work. Of course, his main work was still doing solo missions, off in the far, far lands. Sometimes he had missions that lasted for months, sometimes weeks. He was extremely happy with this arrangement.

As for old friends, there was Sakura, a prominent med-ninja in the village, was researching various chemicals and plants, hoping to perfect the ultimate healing art. She grew to be a lovely woman, still boisterous and silly at times, but a beautiful wife when she finally married the last person everyone thought she'd end up with. In the past few years, Rock Lee had finally succumbed to her, and changed his hairstyle, trimmed his brows, and changed into regular clothes – they've been dating steadily ever since. And finally, a spectacular marriage two years back, right after the last great wars tumbled down and left room for celebration.

Of course, whenever Rock Lee and Gai-sensei hung out together, he'd put on his green spandex and weights, just for fun. And he kept a wig that was reminiscent of his bowl-cut hairstyle. It annoyed the hell out of his wife, but since she was _already_ his, there wasn't really much Sakura could do.

But their love story, was something akin to rotten tomatoes and eggplants, as Sasuke would always muse to himself (and is so lovely and laughable at the same time that it deserves its own storytelling in another time and place). He would only scratch his head when asked about marriage plans, or future children, or anything related to _that_.

_Why do people even bother?_

So even if he deemed himself a most anti-social type of person, Sasuke still wondered how the hell he ended up doing what he never thought he'd be doing – training genin? But once a month was alright, and once a week fit just right into his schedule, and he couldn't say he didn't like the extra pay it gave.

So imagine his reaction when he suddenly received an extra side-assignment from the Hokage herself. It was labelled in an URGENT envelope, and it made him grin to think of receiving such a dire mission at this time of the night.

It didn't take long for him to mutter all the anti-espionage spells and dis-arm the letter. And then, Sasuke glanced over the wordy letter, his eyes ladnding on the crucial words –

_sorry, doing well, work, full-time, well-compensated, grateful _–

an office job?

To be tied down to a desk, much worse, to students?

It was an outrage.

He had to go see the Hokage first thing the next day.

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tbc

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a/n: A story that struck me one fine morning. Read and review please! :3


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

The room was darkly lit, and the curtains were drawn together, closing off the natural light and the heat that came with it. It was eerily cold inside the stone walls, and the two shadows that flickered with the candle barely moved.

Sasuke stood still, hands in both pockets, eyes dark and brooding. He looked grim, and he looked like he was about to slam his hands down onto the front desk of the Hokage.

Lady Tsunade, on the other hand, was quite the opposite of the brooding ninja. She had her sunny smile on, and her yellow and green kimono was as sharply pressed as it had always been. Her blonde hair was neatly tied back for once, as if she had anticipated a rough encounter for the day. Her legs were crossed, and she had her elbows propped up on the table, a palm supporting the side of her face, her green eyes never leaving Sasuke's face despite the lazy drawl of her smile.

_How much this boy has grown_, she mused quietly to herself.

Another blink of an eye. And he was still there, tall, unmoving, and his eyes still held a look of disbelief.

Tsunade started once more.

"Please, Sasuke-kun. There is no one else more suitable than you. You're the only one who has done this, even as a temporary instructor. And with the number of kids that we have, the Academy will not hold with the only full-time instructor that we have."

"Of course you know Naruto? And that teaching is his passion now?"

The corner of Sasuke's mouth flinched. _Naruto._ The name caused a mix of distaste and nostalgia. That raunchy, boisterous half-wit with a fondness for noise and showing-off. That boy who treasured friendship more ridiculously than anything else in the world. That foolish brat who thought he could save the world, and wanted to be the next Hokage of the village, but is now among the ranks of teachers? A permanent academy instructor?

The dark-haired man released a long-held breath, and slowly, realized the vast disrespect that he had shown since entering the Hokage's office. He looked up to match the gaze of the most powerful female ninja he had ever known, and took a deep breath.

Tsunade was still, based on the exterior appearance, a very attractive lady. There was barely a mark of age on her fair skin, and she really just looked the way she did when he first saw him a few years ago. Blonde, quirky, strong, and surprisingly harboring a quick wit and a very intelligent mind. She _WAS_, after all, the leader of the Hidden Village of the Leaf. Nothing less should be expected from one holding such a title.

Except now, he wasn't scrunching his nose at the thought of her bad habits and her gambling tendencies. He was actually scrutinizing her pretty face, and maybe it came with his age, _he wasn't THAT old yet_, despite knowing that she was a good few decades older than he is.

His eyes trailed down from her face, and before he knew it, Tsunade started clearing her throat and tapping her foot to catch his attention. She had a knowing smile on her face and Sasuke could only muster his shame as his face flushed hot.

How medical jutsu works _that_ kind of magic, beats the hell out of him.

"So tell me you'll do it?" she started again, in a singsong voice, with a hint of persuasion he could smell from a mile away.

Tsunade winked at him, and delivered an award-winning closing line.

"Besides, you've seen worse. How bad could it be, right?"

The raven-haired man felt another twitch forming at his temple at the very moment, but could only grumble in agreement. It was a skill saying no to the Hokage, and it was a skill he had yet to master.

center-/center

_How bad could it be?_

The thought bounced in his head the whole afternoon he spent walking alongside the president of the Academy, who gave him an official tour of the place and the duties he'll be taking over as Iruka's temporary replacement. He was to have the desk by the door, and piled neatly on the very top, was the student record of the class he was going to handle everyday for a month, until his former _sensei_ recovers from whatever illness he acquired.

But Sasuke could only imagine working with Naruto again.

He'd be deaf all the time. And the last time they really talked - it was before he left for Orochimaru's camp. And it was a memory full of screaming and shouting and tears and red chakra and bleeding - Sasuke winced at the sheer imagery of their battle - or maybe it was just Naruto's method of a pep talk and he tried his best at answering him back?

_Just why wouldn't he grow up?_

A small voice spoke at the back of his head.

_But that was 5 years ago, Sasuke._

_You were a mere toddler. _

_So was he. _

Sasuke shook his head. His eighteen-year-old body was notched with the scars of a life lived to the fullest. 5 years was a quarter of his lifetime already. And since he had returned, a lot of things have already changed.

_Even me._

And then a flash of blonde caught his eye. He was about to meet the person that has been plaguing his thoughts, and was very surprised when he finally saw his old friend.

He looked exactly like the way he looked as a teen, except that his face was thinner, and his cheeks were less full, and the scratch marks were faded. He ocean-blue eyes were still bright, and his hair, _thankgod_, was still blonde. There was a tinge of pink on his cheeks, and he had a warm, toothy smile on his face.

"Welcome back to the Academy, Sasuke. And... it's not going to be as bad as it looks."

Lady Hokage's very own _comforting_ words.

"Hmph," Sasuke scoffed, although he didn't mean to be amazingly rude to his old teammate. "I only did it for the money."

Naruto nodded, his smile growing wider. "Most people do. But I've seen you teach when you come here part-time. You've always been a good teammate, but you're a great teacher. You'll do just fine, Sasuke, when you start tomorrow."

The raven-haired man nodded and could only manage a feeble smile in return. His eyes narrowed as they took in Naruto's new appearance.

"So... I'll see you tomorrow then?"

A pat on the shoulder, a swish of the blonde hair, and Naruto was gone.

_Damn. I always knew I'd end up working with... him. And he's seen me teach? _

And...

Naruto was... more mature. And he wore a better outfit now, not the signature orange overalls he crazed about, not even the official dreary Konoha vest. He was dressed comfortably in a bright-green shirt with the Konoha logo, and his hair was surprisingly longer and tied back neatly, much like Iruka _sensei_'s.

And he was quiet. He was _oh-so-very_ quiet, and he was _soft-spoken_, not at all like he used to be. There was no sense of irritation forming at the back of Sasuke's head, no sense of wanting to step back in case the verbal or physical explosions started. No sense of accidents about to happen and fireworks about to jump out from each corner.

Naruto, was like a different man. And Sasuke, unbelievably, found it to be such a strange phenomenon.

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tbc

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a/n: The plot has formed and is almost complete in my head. So I think I can start writing and posting the succeeding chapters more freely now. :)


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